Clothes-pin.



L. L. GOHEEN.

CLOTHES PIN. APPLICATION FILED .TKULY14, 1909.

Patented Jan.4, 1910.

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LEONARD L. GOHEEN, OF SHERWOOD, NORTH DAKOTA.

CLOTHES-PIN.

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Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J an. 4, 1910.

Application 1ed July 14, 1909. Serial No. 507,476.

.Lo all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LEONARD L. GOHEEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Sherwood, in the county of Vard and State of North Dakota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Clothes-Pins; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention has for its object to provide an improved clothespin, and to this end it consists of the novel devices and combinations of devices hereinafter described and defined in the claims.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein like characters indicate like parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a view in front elevation showing the irnproved device; and Fig. 2 is a view in side elevation of the same.l

The numeral 1 indicates a lever having a relatively long upper end and the numeral 2 indicates a lever having a relatively short upper end, both of the levers 1 and 2 are as shown, each preferably constructed of a single piece of wire. `The levers 1 and 2 are intermediately pivoted at 3 and t, respectively, to a comparatively long pivot pin 5, by giving each lever 1 and 2 a one-half turn, in reverse directions, around the pivot pin 5. The lower ends of the levers 1 and 2 are U- shaped in form and constitute a pair of clamping jaws 6 and 7, respectively. It will be noted that the clamping jaws 6 and 7 diverge from their lower ends toward the pivot pin 5 and that the clamping jaw 7 is a trifle shorter than the clamping jaw 6, and when the levers 1 and 2 are closed, the lower surface of the clamping jaw 7 closely engages the upper surface of the clamping jaw 6, thereby more securely holding the clothes held thereby.

Thin metal plates 8 and 9 are secured to the extreme upper ends of the levers 1 and 2, respectively, by folding edges of the tie plates about the vertical and horizontal portions of the wires which form the levers 1 and 2. The upper end of the tie plate 9 projects slightly above the lower edge of the tie plate 8 and the two tie plates 8 and 9 form stops to limit the closing movements of the levers 1 and 2. A lock lever 10, having a relatively short end and a relatively long end, is, as shown, preferably constructed of a single piece of wire, and is intermediately pivoted to the tie plate 8 of the relatively long end of the lever 1 by a rivet 11. The rivet 11 is secured to the lock lever 10 by a thin metal tie plate 12, which tie plate is secured to the lock lever 1() by folding the vertical edges of the tie plate 12 about the wire, from which the lever 10 is constructed. The relatively short end of the lock lever 10 is adapted, when turned into a vertical position, and the levers 1 and 2 are in their closed positions, to overlap the upper end of the lever 2 and lock the two levers 1 and 2 together. The relatively long end of the lock lever 10 terminates in a downwardly projecting spring finger 15, which finger and the adjacent portion of the lock lever 10 coperate to support and clamp the clothespin on a clothes line, not shown. lVhen the lock lever 10 is turned into a horizontal position, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 1, the relatively short end of the lock lever 10 is moved out of engagement with the lever 2, thereby unlocking the levers 1 and 2 and releasing the clamping jaws 6 and 7 with respect to each other, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 2.

The improved clothespin just described is especially adapted for use in hanging out clothes in the winter time. In using an ordinary clothespin in cold weather, the clothes are very often torn in removing the same from the line. In my present invention, this objection is entirely done away with. If the clothes are frozen to the line, it is only necessary to unhook the clothespin from the line and remove the same together with the clothes to a warm room and as soon as the frost is out of the clothes, the clothespins may be readily removed from the clothes without danger to the same.

What I claim is:

1. In a clothes pin, the combination with a pair of intermediately pivoted levers having clamping jaws, one thereof having a relatively long projecting end, of a lock lever, intermediately pivoted to the projecting end of the long lever, and provided with a relatively long end engageable with a line, and a relatively short end engageable with the end of said short lever to lock said clamping jaws on the clothes, substantially as described. U

2. In a clothes pin, the combination with a pair of intermediately pivoted levers llaving clamping jaws, one thereof having a relatively long projecting end, and each of said levers being constructed of a single piece of wire, bent upon itself, with its ends secured together by a tie plate, of a. lock lever constructed of a single piece of wire, bent upon itself, and intermediately pivoted to the projecting` end of the long lever, and provided with a relatively short end terminating in -a downwardly projecting spring finger engageable with a line, and a relatively sliort end engageable with the end of the short lever to lock the clamping aws on the clothes, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

LEONARD L. GOHEEN.

lVitnesses O. J. CLARK, E. R. HAINES. 

